The Monthly Round-Up: August 2019 Edition

Welcome to The Monthly Round-Up, a new feature on Let’s Be Merry where I share a list of things that I’m loving right now that might interest you too.

From thought-provoking articles and books (because I’m always reading!) to home décor, travel ideas, wellness products and more, these posts will include everything that’s on my radar. These might be discoveries I make while traveling abroad, or when I’m exploring closer to home.

I hope this monthly round-up inspires you to live your best life and thoughtfully surround yourself with the things you love. Because I believe everyone deserves a life where they are happy at home and abroad!

This post contains affiliate links. You can view my disclosure here. 

The Monthly Round-Up: August

We’ve made it to August! The dog days of summer…

I know August can feel like a strange month.

Summer is waning, some kids are already back to school, and though we want to hold onto the carefree attitude of the season, our mind starts to think about the busyness of fall.

But there’s still time to enjoy what’s left of summer. It can be as simple as a day trip to the beach.

I did just that last week. My friend and I spent a Sunday afternoon at Rockaway Beach. (Did you know that NYC has some great public beaches?) Even though we were only there for a few hours, the sound of the waves, the smell of the sea air and the refreshing bite of the saltwater did wonders for us.

I realized it doesn’t take much to feel re-centered and rejuvenated. For me, it’s an afternoon at the beach.

What is it for you? Whether it’s hiking in the mountains, swimming in a lake, or checking out art in a silent, air-conditioned museum, figure out what restores you and make sure it’s on your list for the month of August.

Here are some other things I’m thinking about…

Speaking of the beach, favorite beach towel is this Turkish one.

And my bathing suit? $34.99 from Target!

It’s not too late to plan a weekend trip for Labor Day. Maine has been on my bucket list for awhile. What places are on your list?

If you’re looking for more inspiring travel destinations, check out my post about the best destinations for a girls’ weekend getaway. Many of these places would be great to visit over Labor Day!

And ICYMI, in last week’s post I shared 7 tips for traveling like a pro. These are travel tips and hacks that I have learned from over 20+ years of travel for work and pleasure.

There’s no reason your filtered water can’t come in a beautiful pitcher. I love the sleek and modern design of this one.

Speaking of home décor, I’m officially obsessed with this dishware. I can’t wait to get them in my kitchen. My only problem – which color should I choose??

My trainer told me he was deactivating his Instagram account for the month of August so he could read more, which inspired me to do something similar: no TV for the month of August.

Instead, I’ll also be reading more, and these books are currently on my nightstand waiting to be read:

Tell Me Lies

You Me Everything

The Untethered Soul

And another book that I already recommended in an earlier round-up but have to mention again my monthly round-up for August is The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. This book is everything I needed to hear right now. It’s counter-intuitive to every other self-help book I’ve read and it’s brilliant.

Speaking of books, I loved Where’d You go, Bernadette and cannot wait to see this movie.

Greta Thunberg should be an inspiration to us all. An ardent climate activist who won’t fly because of the carbon emissions has figured out another way to make it to NYC to attend a United Nations summit meeting on global warming. We should all have such courage!

Here’s more proof that yoga really can reduce our stress and overactive amygdalas.

I am a big fan of Soul Cycle, and one instructor in particular, but this news has given me pause and is making me think twice about when I’ll take another Soul Cycle class. I often think that as consumers our greatest power comes from where we choose to spend our money, and where we choose not too.

Are You Ready to Enjoy the Rest of August?

That’s it for my monthly round-up of August! As always, please comment below if you have any questions or feedback.

I hope these recommendations serve you well and you enjoy the rest of summer.

P.S. If you want to check out more of my top picks for everything from travel accessories, wellness products, nutritional supplements, and home décor, check out my Amazon Store.